Sam Goodman, Australia’s undefeated boxing star, returns to the ring today in a high-stakes bout against Mexican challenger Cesar Vaca at Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion. After missing out on a million-dollar showdown with Japanese superstar Naoya Inoue due to sparring cuts five months ago, Goodman aims to take a step toward booking an interim super bantamweight title fight in Las Vegas.
The 19-0 Australian fighter enters the ring with significant pressure as a victory tonight could place him on the same card as Tim Tszyu’s anticipated rematch with Sebastian Fundora. For Goodman, this represents a chance to put the disappointment of the canceled Inoue fight behind him and restart his path to world championship glory.
His opponent, Cesar Vaca Espinoza, brings an impressive 19-1-1 record with 12 knockouts to the contest. The Mexican challenger spent two months in Japan sparring with Inoue and has not been shy about criticizing Goodman ahead of their clash.
“This guy isn’t who he says he is,” Espinoza stated earlier this week. “Sam Goodman says he is the best fighter at 122 pounds. That just isn’t true. He hasn’t fought against the best. Has no power. And I will show all this Wednesday night.”
Espinoza also noted concerns about Goodman’s previous cut, describing it as looking “fragile” – a clear indication he plans to test the Australian’s recovery from the injury that derailed his Inoue opportunity.
In the co-main event earlier tonight, Olympic bronze medalist Harry Garside secured a victory over Charlie Bell in what ended as a controversial stoppage. After five rounds of Garside’s dominance, referee Les Fear stepped in and stopped the bout, ruling Bell had taken enough damage. The decision sparked immediate outrage from Bell, who exclaimed, “What? What? No! F*** off, no! What the f***,” as reported by Fox Sports.
Even Australian boxing star Tim Tszyu, who was on commentary duty, disagreed with the stoppage: “I think Charlie Bell deserves to continue on. I don’t think he was ever really hurt. He was an Aussie warrior and could have continued.”
Despite the controversy, Garside remained gracious in victory, saying: “Charlie came here to fight. He’s a tough Aussie bloke and I’m grateful.”
The Goodman vs Vaca main event marks a critical juncture in the Australian boxer’s career. His path was derailed when twice suffering sparring cuts that cost him the chance to face Inoue in what would have been a career-defining opportunity.
Australian boxing fans can watch the action live on FOX Australia and Kayo Sports PPV for $50 AUD, with the broadcast beginning at 5:30 PM AEST. Unfortunately for international fans, particularly those in the U.S., there is currently no available streaming option as Kayo Sports is restricted to Australian viewers.
This event comes during an exciting period for boxing, with several major announcements making news today. Most notably, the highly anticipated showdown between Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford has been rescheduled to September 13, one day later than originally planned. The venue has also changed, with New York, Los Angeles and Las Vegas now in the running to host the superfight.
Another significant boxing announcement came with confirmation that Filipino legend Manny Pacquiao will end his nearly four-year retirement to face Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight championship on July 19 in Las Vegas. At 46 years old, Pacquiao looks to add another chapter to his already legendary career as boxing’s only eight-division world champion.
But tonight, all eyes in Australian boxing turn to Sam Goodman as he attempts to overcome Cesar Vaca and move closer to realizing his dream of fighting for a world title in the United States. The undefeated Australian hopes this bout will be the first step in putting his recent setbacks behind him and launching a successful 2025 campaign.
